Gin Old Fashioned
Category: Classic Twist · Mood: The one that makes bourbon drinkers see gin.
Nish's Note: Barr Hill Tom Cat is aged gin — barrel-rested, honey-forward, with enough structure to hold up to the Old Fashioned treatment. I built this for the person at the party who always says they're "more of a gin person" like they're apologizing for something. This drink is for them, and it's an argument that gin belongs in the same conversation as whiskey. No apology required. The raw honey from the Tom Cat comes through in a way that makes this feel handmade even when you didn't do anything special.
Ingredients
Barr Hill Tom Cat Gin — 2 oz
Raw honey syrup — ¼ oz
Peychaud's bitters — 1 dash
Orange bitters — 1 dash
At a Glance
Glass: Rocks
Method: Stirred
Ice: Large single cube
The Build
Add honey syrup and bitters to a mixing glass. Peychaud's over Angostura here — it's lighter and more floral, which lets the gin stay in the lead rather than getting overtaken by spice.
Add Tom Cat and ice. Stir for 30 seconds. The goal is integration, not just temperature.
Strain over one large cube in a rocks glass.
Bottle I Reach For: Barr Hill Tom Cat, specifically. This recipe was built around that bottle and I'd be lying if I said a substitute would do the same thing. Made by Caledonia Spirits in Vermont, raw honey from their own hives, aged in new American oak. Worth finding.